


all my friends were glorious

by actualraptcr, startrecking, violetwreaths



Category: Primeval
Genre: Adheres to a canon divergent au, And how much they love each other, But mostly just soft episode codas about how the team are a family, Details in first chap, F/F, Lots of wholesome family feels, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-06-29 07:15:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19825180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualraptcr/pseuds/actualraptcr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrecking/pseuds/startrecking, https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetwreaths/pseuds/violetwreaths
Summary: “You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.” ― Trenton Lee Stewartor;a collection of moments illustrating exactly why working at the arc sinks into your bones. some things forge bonds of steel and fighting prehistoric creatures together appears to be one of those things.





	1. preface

As fans of Primeval since it originally aired, the three of us have decided to undertake a bit of a challenge. Throughout this work, each chapter will serve as a separate episode coda or oneshot, all set within our own AU version of the Primeval universe as a way to fulfil all of our wishes for the show. All of these chapters should be considered oneshots, and additional warnings will be specified in the Author’s Note of every chapter. Our table of contents will be updated as we go for organizational purposes. Title from Victorious by Panic! At The Disco.

In terms of canon divergence, the following items are important to note;  
\- Nick Cutter and Stephen Hart survive 3x03 and 2x07 respectively.  
\- Jessica Parker joins the ARC in 2x01, fresh out of university at age 18, as a tech intern to help Connor out.  
\- Post 1x06, Nick discovers that in this new universe, Lester has a step-daughter by the name of Emily who may feature here occasionally.  
\- Danny Quinn returns from the Cretaceous along with Abby and Connor.  


Other details may differ from the show's canon but will likely be explored through the writing here. We hope you enjoy our take on the Primeval universe!

### Table of Contents

 **Chapter 1** : preface

  * A note from the authors;
  * The table of contents.



**[Chapter 2](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19825180/chapters/46992757)** : _like thunder under earth_

  * Author: [violetwreaths](https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetwreaths)
  * Summary: The silence of the ARC was deathly, even as Jess sat paralysed with fear, waiting for the Predator to come for her.
  * Additional Tags: 2x06 coda, canon-typical violence, light angst.
  * Word Count: 2.1k.



**[Chapter 3](link)** : _waiting for the fog to rollout_

  * Author: [actualraptcr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualraptcr)
  * Summary: Sure they were on the run, outnumbered, outmanned and desperately outgunned, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy the little things.
  * Additional Tags: 3x06 coda, soft fluff.
  * Word Count: 2.4k.




	2. like thunder under earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The silence of the ARC was deathly, even as Jess sat paralysed with fear, waiting for the Predator to come for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> additional tags: 2x06 coda, 2x07 coda, canon-typical violence, light angst  
> ship; implied jenny lewis/jess parker 
> 
> notes; title from nfwmb by hozier.

Jess was just minding her own business, head dipped low as she fiddled with some of the tech plans she had, trying to adjust them to work on an ARC-wide scale. She hadn’t pitched them to Lester or Cutter yet. There was no sense in that until she had it right. Everyone else was out hunting Leek so she was unsurprised that the ARC was quieter than she had ever seen. Somewhere above her, Lester was working in his office doing whatever it was he did every day. She didn’t quite know what that was. Mostly, he just wanted her to keep an eye on the Minister and his activities.

She figured private hacking wasn’t legal or ethical. 

Broken from her reverie by a muffled crash, Jess glanced up, gaze flitting over to where Lester had also stood, looking around for the source of the noise. “Jess? Was that you?” He asked, peering down at her from where he stood on the walkway. She shook her head slowly and they both turned to look at the creaking light fixture as it swung ominously.

Something was wrong. Normally Jess would chalk it down to her dislike of being alone in the ARC but even Lester seemed unsettled, checking in the back of the van as he walked down to join her in the main ops room. Something was in the place with them. 

She rose to her feet and moved to stand by him. Almost as soon as Jess had stood from her place at the computers, the screens flickered to black and then Leek’s face appeared, taunting Lester. Not that Jess really cared what he had to say. She was far too busy trying to work out exactly what his plan was. “Jess, stay behind me,” Lester instructed as they backed away. 

There was a faint chittering somewhere above them and every muscle in Jess’s body seemed to lock up with fear. Her instincts had been right. Something was in the ARC with them. “Now-” Leek started and Jess clamped her hand firmly around Lester’s arm, trying desperately to warn him of what she suspected. As they turned, they came face to face with a Future Predator and Jess shrieked, the sound ripping from her throat involuntarily. They took off and Jess thanked every deity in the known universe that running in heels wasn’t difficult for her. 

“We need the emergency generator,” she gasped out, trying to keep her voice pitched as low as possible in an effort not to attract the predator’s attention. 

“I’ve got it. You stay here,” Lester hissed back, pushing her back to stand back. Jess wasn’t about to argue with that and pressed firmly against the wall as if that was going to help much. Inhaling slowly, she waited for Lester to find the breaker for the generator, her every muscle strung taut with fear. She was prepared to run at any given point and, as she waited, she slowly toed her heels off. No sense in keeping them on. 

Lester backed up to join her as the lights clicked back on. The predator snarled as it leaped closer. The lights flickered off again. “Jess, run,” Lester hissed and they scrambled backward, even as the creature pursued them. 

They were so close to an escape of some kind when Jess felt herself slip. The lance of panic that shot through her was nothing compared to the explosion of pain in her shoulder as the predator’s claws tore through her skin. She didn’t know when she started screaming. The agony seemed to colour her entire vision, white spots dancing across her field of view as the blood-soaked through her clothes. There was a sudden outpour of gunfire from behind her, presumably where Lester had managed to grab a hold of a gun, but she found she still couldn’t move, her body refusing to obey the panicked screaming of her mind.

She was vaguely aware of Lester hauling her up, helping her through into the ops room. He was saying something to her but she couldn’t quite focus through the pain and so she just nodded vaguely, hoping it would do. He pressed his gun into her hands and bolted over to the doors that held the mammoth back. Jess wasn’t entirely sure what he was planning but she stood, swaying on the spot and trying desperately to keep the gun up. 

Lester returned to her side after a moment - although it felt like an eternity to her - and pressed a button. “Hopefully this works,” he murmured before slanting a final sarcastic remark to Leek. The predator leaped for them and Jess slammed her eyes closed. She didn’t want to die here. 

When she opened her eyes again, the mammoth was standing before them, the predator speared on one of his tusks, and Jess sank to sit on the floor, unsure if she was going to sob or laugh at the image. 

“Good boy,” Lester muttered and the decision was made for her, a shaking laugh ripping from her lips.

\---

By the time the team arrived back at the ARC, Jess was in the medical wing, her shoulder being strapped up in a way that she personally thought was kind of excessive. Although she had to admit, the painkillers were doing a spectacular job. Her head felt like it was full of cotton wool. Abby was standing by her side, smoothing her hair back gently. “How are you feeling, Jess?”

“Kind of out of it, to be honest. The drugs are doing good work,” Jess said, slanting a faint smile up at her and Abby grinned back gently, nodding.

“At least there’s that.” 

“And besides, if it scars, they’ll be pretty nifty ones,” Connor added lightly and Jess laughed, reaching out with her free hand to grab Connor’s hand and squeeze it, hoping the look she shot him didn’t look as glazed as it felt. 

“You are so, so right,” she nodded sagely, even as he smiled down at her, ruffling her hair with his free hand. They would be cool scars. Maybe girls liked cool scars. 

“I’m glad you’re alright though, mate.” 

“Me too. It was scary for a second,” Jess murmured before moving to sit up a little. “Where are the others?” 

Considering there were only two people who weren’t currently in the room and it wasn’t like Nick was the warmest of people, it was incredibly obvious that Jess was asking after Jenny. Thankfully, both Connor and Abby were too kind to call her out on it this time and instead, Abby just crept over to the door of the room, nudging it with her toe fractionally so it drifted open a little, allowing them all to hear what was going out just outside. 

“-the fact that you had a gun in my face wasn’t bad enough, your little trick meant that none of us were here to stop this! Perhaps if you had just a little more faith in your _team,_ she wouldn’t be hurt right now!” Jess flinched instinctively. She had never heard such venom in Jenny’s voice before and she knew that if she was ever faced with that sort of vitriol, she’d cower back immediately. Somehow she didn’t think Cutter would take it lightly though. 

“And I’m sorry she is hurt but you’re the one who’s letting your feelings interfere now. It was important that we found out who it was and we did!” Nick snapped back, voice getting even more Scottish with anger, as it often did. It usually made Jess laugh, the way that his voice twisted harshly over the r’s, the upward inflections of indignant anger. Not now. 

_“My_ feelings are interfering? Take a long, hard look at yourself, Cutter,” she hissed out. “Now, I’m going to see if our team member is okay. And I think you should remember that the girl in that hospital wing is nineteen years old. We let this happen.” 

Abby scrambled back to her place at Jess’s side and Jess shifted, trying to make it seem like they hadn’t all been listening in. The door swung open and Jenny grimaced as it hit the wall. “Sorry,” she muttered, moving into the room and sweeping her hair over her shoulder. “How are you feeling, Jess?” She asked gently, her soft voice a far cry from the venomous bite of mere moments ago. 

“I’m okay. It’s kind of sore but I’ll be alright. It could have been a lot worse,” Jess replied just as quietly. It was strange, the amount of softness that Jenny seemed to show around her. It was something she thought about often but now, with one arm restrained and a pain throbbing in her skull from the adrenaline comedown and the insistent agony in her arm starting to come back, Jess clung to it like a lifeline. 

“You’re right, it could have been. I’m sorry we weren’t here,” Jenny murmured, reaching out to brush her fingers across the knuckles of Jess’s free hand. Jess tried not to react too visibly to it but couldn’t help the gentle smile that danced across her face. 

“It’s okay. Maybe you should start taking Lester out in the field. He’s pretty fearsome,” she teased lightly and Jenny laughed, smoothing a hand across Jess’s forehead. 

“We’ll consider it. You should be going home before anything else happens. We’ll keep you updated. You have someone to drive you home?” Jenny asked and Jess nodded, feeling her eyes close slightly. 

“Yeah, I’m gonna get Abby to give me a lift before you guys leave if that’s okay?” 

Jenny nodded immediately, shooting Abby a thankful smile before returning her attention to Jess. “That’s fine. We’re going to have to regroup anyway and figure out a plan. Get home safe, okay?” Jenny said, moving as though to bow her head and kiss Jess’s forehead before flinching back, as though she had thought better of it. Instead, she just smiled, stroked a thumb over Jess’s cheek and backed out of the room quietly. 

\---

It was only her second day on bed rest and apparently, the entire ARC was beginning to dissolve. Stephen was in hospital in critical condition, Helen Cutter had somehow escaped them _again_ and Leek was finally dead. It had been eventful from what she had heard. 

In truth, Jess was going stir-crazy being cooped up at home. She missed working and she wanted to be there for her friends. The knock at her door interrupted her thoughts and Jess groaned as she pushed herself up to her feet, still struggling with mobility a little. She hurried over to the door, using her good hand to swing it open without a thought. 

She perhaps should have thought. That only occurred to her once she had opened the door. 

Thankfully, she was faced with Jenny and not a murderous Helen Cutter or anything of the sort. Just Jenny. Jenny, standing before her, with a tear-streaked face and her hair pulled back into a reckless ponytail and her clothes rumpled. “Jenny. Come in. Do you need anything?” She asked, trying not to watch the way the other woman was trembling. 

“Just...somewhere to sit and not to be alone,” Jenny said faintly and Jess nodded. 

“That I can do. That bad a day at work?” Jess asked gently, tucking her hair behind her ear as she moved back to the sofa. 

“You could say that,” Jenny murmured, sinking down to sit by her. “I should be at the hospital with the others,” she added and Jess shook her head. 

“It’s okay. You needed space. Stephen will have so many friends around him already, it’s okay,” Jess murmured. “Shall we watch a movie or something? Anything mindless?” 

Jenny nodded and sighed as Jess flicked on the old Disney movie she had been watching. “I’m sorry for appearing like this,” she added and Jess stretched out her good hand to lace her fingers with Jenny’s, squeezing the older woman’s hand once in an attempt to be soothing. 

“Don’t worry about it,” she whispered. Jenny nodded and they turned their attention to the soft strains of Beauty and the Beast. That was how they remained for the next few hours, watching Disney movies absently, hands entwined, taking silent comfort in each other’s presence. It was all they needed really. 

In a world fraught with chaos, sometimes the space to _be_ without interference was the most valuable of all. Everything would be okay. They had faith in that if nothing else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hit me up on twitter @sapphicvers


	3. waiting for the fog to rollout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sure they were on the run, outnumbered, out-manned and desperately outgunned, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy the little things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> additional tags: 3x06 coda, team feels, found family, light fluff
> 
> notes; title from san fransisco by the mowglis.

They’d all been hoping that despite the rather pressing disaster unfolding back at the ARC that Lester would manage to find them somewhere to hole up until it all blew over. Now, Danny couldn’t say what he’d been picturing but the rundown glorified shed at the of the coordinates wasn’t it. Overgrown and dead looking vegetation as far as the eye could see, the edges of winter crawling in and god, the chances of the place having any kind of heating were going to be slim to none.

They parked up a few hundred feet from the shack, piled out of the car and clumped together behind him as Danny led the way up the small dirt path towards their new home for the foreseeable future. Upon closer inspection it was a miracle the place still stood, woodworm and rotted planks down to the very foundations. Cobwebs clung to every available surface and the windows were boarded up and devoid of glass. Wonderful.

It did give Danny the pleasure of kicking the door in though, so it gained bonus points for that.

Inside the shack was smaller than any of them had realised, full of dust that choked the air as they walked through, food and drink on the table long gone mouldy. Disgusting. It took a lot to stop a coughing fit as he checked the other rooms, mindful of Connor and Jess kicking about in the one next door, but nothing. No sign of the previous occupants, no sign that the place had even been thought about in the last twenty years.

His foot stung just a tad from the door, and Danny can’t help the small wince it gave him to step across broken floorboard. First port of call were the windows, unlatched and propped up to let in the light (and the place looked no better for it). The ex-cop let his mind linger on the view, lost in thought over their plan of attack while the soft sounds of the others as they moved about the cabin in search of anything to occupy their time filtered to him. 

“Just how long are we gonna be here, Danny?” Abby said into the tense silence, an unsure voice at his elbow. He dragged his eyes from the dead forest, a reassuring smile forced to his mouth because even if things looked grim like hell was he about to let his team down. They’re all so young, nervous faces peering back at him, and something about the lost expressions that stared back at him made his chest twinge.

Yeah, he’d die before he let them know he felt just as helpless. If it didn’t go against the remaining tendrils of his morality, Danny would have put a bullet in Johnson’s head himself.

Instead he simply wound an arm around the petite blonde’s shoulders to his left, gave her a quick squeeze that turned into more of a hug as she settled against him. Made sure his voice didn’t waver and shot them all a grin that was more for his own benefit than hers, “Think of it a bit like a camping trip, ey? And anyway Lester’s wily, he’ll have this all sorted in no time and we’ll be back to ignoring his and soldier boy’s orders in no time.”

That got him a laugh from Connor in the corner where he fiddled with the switches, even if it was a bit pressed sounding, and he counted that as a win. Sarah, intent on the scientific journals that the light had revealed, ignored them all in favour of settling in for the long haul (never one to lose her head, that one), and Jess returned to her exploration of the small house with a roll of her eyes.

Everything looked frozen in time the longer he looked, almost like they thought they might have been coming back to continue their dinner, to finish their book. Weird. Unsettled by the implications, Danny tried to distract himself with preparations - took Abby with him out into the wood with the makeshift materials he could scavenge from the house. Old string, probably some sort of copper wiring and a bunch of empty ration cans. Perfect for an early-warning system, and it felt quite nice to take Abby through the motions of it. 

The sort of things he’d have taught his kid, if he’d ever found someone worth the time to have one in the first place. He ignored the traitorous voice at the back of his head that brought a certain tall, dark and scary woman to mind.

Connor managed to find the time between settling into the cabin, searching for fire wood and making a right fool of himself to find the generator out back, tucked away in some kind of ramshackle lab. He also managed to find a dead body, and Danny wasn’t going to let the kid live down the frankly shocking scream he’d let out before they ‘rescued’ him. But they had power, and old fashioned music to pass the time.

Danny watched his team with a small smile as they danced around each other, laughed and teased. Light despite the dark cloud of discovery that loomed overhead. Elbow propped on the windowsill, he tried to leaf through some of the papers as best he could. The date was a surprise, a slew of years through the 40s and abruptly stopping around ‘47, likely when they had to leave. 

There’s an excited giggle from around the corner suddenly and before Danny can start to ask what was so interesting, Sarah appeared in the doorway with a hissed whisper to the girls, “Look at these! Aren’t they beautiful?” Three classic dresses dangled from her fingers all sleek silk and fancy, a burst of colour in the dirt stained room. He watched with half an eye as Jess clambered her way over a broken chair to investigate herself, as though summoned by the prospect of dressing up.

Women and clothes, he never quite got it, even though he can admit they were fine garments. Hell, with those and the vintage bottles of wine stored in the kitchen, Danny guessed the scientists had been severely well off.

Their faces light up with admiration for the dresses, the pack of them holding them up to their bodies as they twirled to and fro, swapping until they settled on who got to wear what. Jess ran a hand down the dark green of hers, bright little grin splitting her face, “With a few adjustments I think they’ll fit us fine.”

“Anything back there for us?” Connor asked, voice edging on put out at the thought that the girls would have all the fun without them, and Danny had to hide his laugh behind a cough and a hand over his mouth when the kid turned to shoot him a betrayed look. Sarah gave a huff at being interrupted, and Abby had a smirk of her own hidden in her arm by the time Connor turned back to them. Jess paused in her inspection of the slip in her hands to eye the puppy-faced scientist, before she leaned past the other girls to get a better look at the closet Sarah had rummaged through.

Felt a bit weird, the thought they felt comfortable wearing dead people’s clothes. Because that’s surely what must have happened to the old inhabitants, one corpse out the back and the others god knows where in the forest around them.

Jess returned triumphant with an infectious little grin to her lips, “Oh yeah, you boys are going to look dashing too, don’t worry.”

Danny didn’t get a say in the end, but he was just as caught up in the fun of it all either way - anything to see the others relaxed, soaked in the happy chatter of the girls as they commandeered the back room to change. Considering they’d all been fearing for their lives a few hours ago he’s more than willing to let them all enjoy this reprieve while they could. Sure they were on the run, outnumbered, out-manned and desperately outgunned, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy the little things.

They’d left the tuxes in the main room, Connor instantly latching onto the more traditional black suit and left Danny with a rather dapper looking white one. Both finely made, cotton and silk and even he could tell the quality was a match to the dresses and wine and all sorts of other trinkets he’d seen dotted around the place. He whistled, long and low under his breath, half a laugh past his lips as he held it up against himself. An oddly good fit, from his eye.

“Er Danny, d’ya… do you think you could help me?” Connor asked quietly behind him, voice softer than Danny had ever heard the near hyperactive scientist be in all the weeks with the team, and it set a few alarm bells ringing. Had the idiot got hurt while he wasn’t looking? But no, even bleeding and bruised Connor was over loud and in your face and made it very obvious he was going to whine about whatever injury he’d gained.

He almost sounded… scared. Or nervous. Of what, Danny couldn’t be sure as he turned to find the other avoiding his gaze, hands caught as they played with the edge of his shirt.

“Of course Conn, what’d you need help with?” He made a point to keep his own voice clear and firm, as though nothing was wrong. Connor took a deep breath, shaky but forced a smile, “Well y’see I’ve never actually worn a suit before, and like, really don’t wanna look like an idiot in front of the girls. So er…”

But that clearly wasn’t the full crux of it and Danny ached to ask what had the kid so out of sorts. He didn’t, because Danny didn’t push, and he didn’t want to squander away the trust they’d all built between each other. So the ex-cop grinned, rakish and brash as always as he shucked off his shoes, jeans, jacket and shirt in quick succession. Maybe it was a shy thing, he could understand that.

“Well first, you get starkers, or near enough. And then most of it is pretty straight forward, y’know. Pants on, shirt on and buttoned up - personally I go for a couple undone at the neck, because it’s a bit tight right?” As he spoke, Danny went about changing into the suit laid out over a knocked down chair, skin screaming against the cold. He’d long since got over any sort of dislike of being near naked around others.

A long stint on the force, surrounded by men in various states of dress in the locker room cured him pretty sharpish, not that anyone would say Danny was ‘shy’ at any stage in his life.

Connor made no move to change himself, bottom lip worried between teeth as Danny watched conflicting thought flick across his face. He had his arms slipped through the shirt provided, when the other finally did decide what to do. Clothes shucked carelessly, everything but the finger-less gloves Connor seemed absurdly attached to and something that made the ex-cop’s brow furrow just a little. Stretched loosely across the scientist’s chest was a sort of, band of black fabric, covering most of Connor’s pecs. Just beneath the edge of it, Danny could make out light pink scarring.

_ Oh. _

The pieces fell into place. And they made an awful lot of sense.

Danny turned his back without prompting, suddenly aware he’d been staring, and listened with half an ear as fabric was pulled on behind him. He busied himself buttoning up his own shirt, of course leaving the top three buttons undone, collar splayed open. He always hated the penguin suits, had been forced into several for events with the force over the years. They made him feel constricted, like he couldn’t breathe.

“Ah right, I mean, really my big issue is er, the tie.” 

Connor held the offending item aloft and Danny had to smother a laugh at the distinct look of disdain on the other’s face. Danny took a moment to consider the sight. Connor looked good, far less out of place in the tux than he thinks any of them had thought he would. He had a slender form that wore it well, and even though the trousers came up a bit short, and even with the ridiculous gloves still in place, it looked. Great. He looked great.

Danny held a hand out for the tie, taking the sleek material with a deliberating glance from head to toe. His mouth quirked into a smile, and he tossed the tie over his shoulder without a second thought. A half step took him up to Connor, and even as the scientist flinched almost imperceptibly, Danny hooked an arm over the younger man’s shoulder and drew him close, “Y’know, I think you can pull it off without all the trimmings. Ties are overrated.”

The girls grow loud then, gasps and outrageous laughter sparked high through the ajar door back into the main room. Connor took a deep breath at his side, and Danny felt the nerves trembling out until finally he smiled back up at him. There it was. The deep dimpled little face he’d grown to love between desperate battles for their lives and near misses with death, teasing across the ARC hub and well. It was a sight for sore eyes, really.

“Are you two gentlemen quite finished? We want a show!” Jess called through the door, a giggle trailing after her words that is quickly hushed by he thinks Sarah, before she too breaks into breathy laughter.

“Well,” Danny said as he spun them to face the door, “Can’t keep our ladies waiting can we?” Connor still didn’t look entirely confident, but he never gave the lad a chance to question it. Used his height advantage to tug the younger man through the door and out into the room, spun them to the sounds of applause and catcalls from the girls around them.

It doesn’t take long for the party to get going, record restarted and Connor taking up Abby’s hand to lead her in a dance around the room - wearing a top hat the kid must’ve dug up from some hidden corner of the room covered in a fine layer of dust, perched jauntily atop his head. 

_Yeah_ , Danny thought as he leaned against the door frame, newspaper long forgotten in his hand as Jess begged for a turn around the floor with Abby from Connor, _this was it_. He’d lost his family, his true family, years ago in some abandoned house, to physics breaking rips in reality. But he’d never trade this bunch of chaotic kids in for anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> come yell at me on twitter @ actualraptcr


End file.
